Anxiety is the top ailment of the modern world—worry before a meeting, a sense of dread when answering the phone, or even a pervasive, hard-to-pin-down fear. Start conquering anxiety with these practices from S&H.

Understanding the link between sedentary behavior and anxiety can help us come up with strategies for lifestyle changes.

I wouldn’t have expected the ER doctor to say, “Welcome, you’ve just entered your dark night of the soul.” But if he had sent me on my way with information about what was happening, it would have been easier for me to arrive at the why.

Our ability to stay with one topic is constantly in jeopardy, sometimes due to factors that we can control and sometimes to those we cannot.

More…

Anxious? Approaching the problem with self-compassion and mindfulness may help. Discover more about spirituality and anxiety.

The Missing Stage of Grief

How can CBD help you with anxiety, and is it safe?

The world doesn’t stop being confusing and cruel just because we decide to think positively. When anxiety has you gripping the sheets, ask yourself these questions to redirect.

Having a hard time meditating because of anxious thoughts? Try saying your worries out loud.

Anxious? Have you tried hypnotism? Hypnotherapist David R. Wright uses hypnotherapy for anxiety relief by tapping into the subconscious and diminishing anxious triggers.

Explore Rabbi Rami’s thoughts on how unconscious beliefs can produce anxiety, inspired by a recent podcast interview with a clinical psychologist and anxiety expert.

24 Lessons for Writers, Painters, Musicians and Actors from America's Foremost Creativity Coach By Eric Maisel “Anxiety is part of the human condition,” says Eric Maisel. And it’…

“While we can’t eliminate our anxiety, we can navigate it. We can diminish its power—and live fulfilling lives anyway.”

Calming essential oils for anxiety can soothe racing thoughts, overall stress, tight muscles, and panic attacks.

Breathwork is an active form of meditation in which you manipulate your breath to change the way you feel.

New research indicates this South Pacific root—an ancient tonic for relaxation—can help calm frayed nerves.

We talk to Karla McLaren about what we can learn from our anger, how to approach anxiety, why positive emotions aren't always positive, and more.

Do you have daily anxiety? Welcome to being human. “... It would be great, because anxiety is a part of every day, if laughter could be too.”

One author shares her powerful experience quelling anxiety with a meditative walk through a labyrinth. Learn how, and find one of your own.

By Friedemann SchaubIf the anxious mind is a spiraling whirlpool of what-ifs and self-doubt, then The Fear & Anxiety Solution is an anchor that helps keep the spirit moored. Au…

There are many tools and techniques you can use to manage and eliminate anxiety and worry effectively. Here, experts share healthy ways to cope with and reduce anxiety right here, right now in this moment.

Journaling prompts for anxiety help you observe and process what’s happening without assigning emotion to it, which in turn prevents a buildup of anxiety.

One author offers her thoughts on taking a 5-week, $500 vacation from anxiety.

Sponsored Content by Stephen Sullivan

Reasonable levels of anxiety boost the memory, a new study shows.

Work with healing crystals for anxiety and tap into their power for relaxation, protection, and self-love.

Overwhelmed by anxiety? Learn skillful ways to address the specific role anxiety plays in your life.

The anxiety that grief can bring with it, as well as anxiety about grieving, can be a heavy burden. Learn more about grief anxiety and what you can do to manage it.

For every outward symptom you can see from anxiety, there are even more complex processes happening inside your brain.

A path to keep anxiety from controlling your life.

Is intuition a useful tool or will it lead you astray? Julie Peters weighs the answers.

More…

Explore how green, pink, blue, and purple lights can reduce anxiety, improve mood, and more.

Wrapping your arms around anxiety is about speaking directly and compassionately to your anxiety.

Feeling anxious? Eat some sauerkraut. Foods that are rich in probiotics might have a calming effect.

Vanquish middle-of-the-night stress with these six tips for better sleep.

"Though commonly labeled a disorder, anxiety, for Paul, is simply evidence of the imagination and an invitation to wholeness. She shares tools and mindsets that allow us to approach anxiety with curiosity instead of shame, so that we may decode its messages, wherever they surface."

In this video, Sherianna Boyle, author of Emotional Detox for Anxiety, shows us how to dedicate the energy of a simple, daily yoga practice to the detoxing of anxiety and all the reactivity surrounding it.

In scents, oils, and creams it’s a resounding “yes!” for lavender as a safe and effective anxiety reliever. Interest in its benefits as an oral supplement is also growing fast.

17 affirmations for expectant mamas and those who want to uplift them.

Those of us struggling with anxiety might find healing in Ayurvedic practices like shirodhara and Sama Vritti pranayama.

Our lead digital editor reports on one master herbalist's suggestions for our current age of anxiety.

Naked writing can be one of the most challenging, yet most rewarding, writing practices on your healing journey.

Listen to your anxiety—not for what it’s explicitly telling you, but for what it might be distracting you from. It might just have some wisdom to share.

Familiar with debilitating anxiety? Find natural relief.

A new study links optimism and less anxiety with an area in the brain called the Orbitofrontal cortex.

When you are feeling stressed and anxious, what’s your strategy? If you’re like many of us, you head home to hide under your covers. What if I told you the cure was at the cocktail…

Five novel ways to tamp down daily anxiety.

Uma Naidoo, author of This Is Your Brain on Food, explores how the foods we eat may be driving up our anxiety.

The solar plexus chakra is key when it comes to anxiety. Discover how to bring balance to this chakra.

Moving can dislodge anxiety from the body. Discover movement practices for anxiety.

Painting with watercolors channels the healing powers of both water and color.

Feeling the burden of climate change on an emotional level? Here are some skillful ways to manage eco-anxiety.

Experiencing anxiety? Find serenity and alleviate stress by performing a ritual to Lakshmi.

The first in three-part meditation series inspired by Ayurveda.

Many of us live with persistent anxiety. If our doctor recommends stepping away from medicine, what are some ways to cope without medicine?

When Vata mobilizes in dry, windy autumn, it accumulates in the nervous system and can bring anxiety. Discover Ayurvedic herbs to fight anxiety this season.

Ellen Vora, MD, is a psychiatrist, a yoga instructor, an acupuncturist, and a witch—and she’s on a mission to radically change the way we approach mental illness.

Learn how to move away from anxiety about raising children, and into a place of balance and ease.

For those of us who experience body anxiety, normal tasks and experiences can feel insurmountable. Try these five tips to reclaim your relationship to your physical form.

A psychotherapist and leadership coach offers three powerful strategies to manage new relationship anxiety when you’re building a connection.

One author learned much on her search for something to ease her mind.

Anxiety is a crisis of confidence.

Is coronavirus news ramping up your anxiety? Does the thought of social distancing make you fret? Try these five strategies to help you cope.

Studies show that picking a time and a place to fret reduces anxiety. Try this postponement exercise to manage your worry time.

Use yin yoga to target the channels of energy that fear, anxiety, and confusion flow through. Then release these emotions.

For anxiety management, try putting on your nutrition armor of adequacy, consistency, balance, and permission to enjoy food.

Learn how to use the practice of emotional alchemy to turn your fight-or-flight response into conquerable anxiety.

Struggling to get up in the morning and feeling anxious? Experiment with these 14 techniques to start the day strong.

How can we reframe anxiety as a positive attribute to strengthen our resilience? Clinical psychologist Dr. David Rosmarin shares.

Renowned psychotherapist and shamanic healer Dr. Steven Farmer offers concrete ways to work with spirit animals to assist you in healing anxiety.

“Anxiety is a message coming from the body, spoken in a language you are about to learn.” Two nervous system practitioners share how we can adapt ourselves out of anxiety.

“I cannot tell you how exciting and empowering it is to create these health-giving treats with such ease.”

This week, the focus is the latest news in nutrition. Discover how matcha tea helps with anxiety; why “clean meat” is a label you’re likely to soon see; and how soy has gotten a thumbs-up for heart health claims. Want the details? Here we go!

The language we use when we speak to ourselves makes a profound difference in how we feel. These tools can help ease you to a calmer state.

“How can you help yourself feel a sense of calm, reassurance, and peace? The answer is at your feet. Literally.”

The sound energy of white noise is the same across the entire spectrum. Learn how this handy shock-absorber can relieve anxiety and improve sleep.

Whether you prefer a visual, auditory, or somatic approach, open awareness involves expanding your awareness and then intentionally observing everything inside it.

The raisin meditation focuses all your senses to calm anxious thoughts.

Integrating mindfulness into cognitive behavioral therapy can provide profound relief from anxiety—a clinical psychologist offers insight into the benefits of this practice

A mental health practitioner explores how her birdwatching practice supported her—and can support us all—through some of life’s greatest challenges.

One medical qi gong practitioner shows how he utilizes the practice to help clients cope with stress and anxiety—a modern epidemic.

As a symbolic tool for introspection, tarot cards can help us transcend negative thinking and access our intuition. Add a meditative perspective on the tarot, and you have a recipe for deep healing.

If one-on-one acupuncture feels inaccessible, either financially or emotionally, consider trying community acupuncture. Learn more about the benefits of this method of healing.

Our senses offer an immediate doorway to the present moment, and there are potent added benefits to these three sensory experiences. Try one the next time your stress and anxiety m…

These tools will help you keep your cool through the chaos of the holidays.

Discover common and harmful cognitive distortions, how they work, and why they are misleading.

Some days going to the beach with friends is self-care. Others it may be watching nature shows at home alone.

A chart reading doesn’t predict the future; it describes the user to themselves. The better you understand yourself—the less anxious you feel.

Do you have difficulty differentiating anxiety from your intuition? The new moon gives us monthly chances to strengthen our inner wisdom and regulate the nervous system.

Take your outdoor self-care to the next level this spring. Explore how creating a forest apothecary garden can help manage anxiety.

Abdominal massage is a global practice that supports womb health and total-body healing. Learn how this practice can help manage anxiety and support a healthy menstrual cycle.

Recognizing how you make decisions may be a helpful clue in navigating anxiety, and a well-loved children’s story can offer us some inspiration.

Here are ways to embrace, rather than avoid stress.

Giving clients control leads to better results.

Creating balance in your gut can help to alleviate your anxiety.

This week, the world of science made some interesting connections. Researchers found that inflammation may be the cause of brain fog, that deep sleep stages calm an overly anxious mind, and that any amount of running is better than no running. For details, read on.

The body has its own way of processing emotions. “The rush of symptoms people experience in a panic attack is a tsunami of fear being released in the body. The question is: What’s deep below the surface that keeps building up fear that needs to be released?”

Anything and everything you ingest has a vibration, so be mindful and bring an awareness of spiritual vibration energy to each experience.

Foods rich in tryptophan, omega-3s, magnesium, B vitamins, and potassium are likely sitting on your shelf right now.

“Anxiety isn’t trying to limit me but free me from a situation that no longer feels good.”

If you accept apologies even when you don't feel like it, you might be practicing “faux-giveness.” Learn how to change that pattern and live with less stress.

Buckle your seat belt, sit back, and enjoy the ride with affirmations for travel anxiety.

Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening. ~ Mahatma Gandhi What are your deepest beliefs regarding the nature of God? When you pray, do you talk to a loving, p…

Spells are only as powerful as the intentions and emotions they raise inside you.

Try these tricks to handle the pressure of performance.

Meditation is at the core of a new generation of treatments for social anxiety.

Use this guided meditation to draw the senses closer to connect with the body in the present moment.

Anxiety, panic attacks, sadness, and heightened sensitivity can carry with them a multitude of other effects—headaches, depression, and impediments from life’s joys. However…

What if we define sin as “anxious self-centeredness”? When we empty ourselves of lower energies, what takes their place?

Your mom always told you that worrying would make the shot worse, and now research confirms that some things really do hurt more if you think they will.

An excerpt from Goodbye Parkinson’s, Hello Life!

People who struggle to deal with uncertainty may in fact may have an unusually large striatum.

Racing thoughts can be overwhelming, confusing, and distressing.

Maybe at some point you decided to try meditation. Maybe the practice you began back then fulfills you still. Or maybe not.

You don’t need to be an expert in mindfulness meditation to experience its amazing stress-relieving benefits.

S&H caught up with journalist Andrea Petersen, author of On Edge: A Journey through Anxiety.

Two ways to access calm strength within ourselves.

It’s normal to be anxious, and it’s normal to react poorly to anxiety in others! Here are some tips if you’re around anxious children.

"If only they knew: For us, fear is not a choice. A little fear is necessary for survival: Ask any gazelle. But too much fear can be as crippling as too little."

“Do hard things and the rest of life gets easier”

Focus on a dilemma or stressor, then use the ancient text to interpret coin tosses in order to resolve it.

Discover how to use hematite, malachite, and morganite crystals for panic attacks.

Anxious? You have the power to make yourself feel better.

Stuck in a thought-loop of negative self-talk? Try utilizing positive affirmations to reframe your overthinking.

The Emotional Freedom Technique, also known as tapping, has been proven to help manage anxiety, stress, and trauma. It can also support us in cultivating healthy relationships.

A clinical counselor and naturopathic physician explores a spiritual perspective to healing panic attacks from the source.

3 steps to warding off rising panic.

A psychology professor argues that worrying is actually good for the mind and body.

Stress can alter the digestive system, not just the mind and spirit.

New research could lead to better treatment of anxiety and depression.

This one simple strategy can help you significantly reduce your anxiety and stress.

It’s a pandemic and you’re a stress ball. Here are 5 ways to catch your breath and calm down.

Go-to mantras to relieve holiday stress, anxiety, and depression.

Reduce anxiety and express yourself with 3 DIY art journaling prompts.

Use these mindful methods to prepare for the holiday season with greater ease and less anxiety.

Adapted from Unworthy: How to Stop Hating Yourself

5 steps to prevent excessive worrying.

“Don’t let my shero cape become my veil.”

Dr. Ross Chiaramonte on overcoming dentist phobia. Sponsored Content from Reputation.CA

If you’re easily overwhelmed, try these techniques to get centered.

Useful tips to prevent insomnia due to anxiety.

Worry creates a sense of powerlessness that fuels sensations of fear and anxiety. The more empowered we feel—the more we sense that whatever happens, we can successfully handle—the less necessary worrying becomes.

Which brain structures are at play during a tickle fight? Researchers found out.

A weeklong retreat beyond words and even snuggling.

A new study examines how different practices benefit people who worry a lot.

The pain of divorce can bring us to our knees. What if there’s a way not just to regain our footing but to step onto a new emotional path?

Fear and intuition are hard to tell apart.

What does it feel like to be in a relaxed state? What triggers me back into a state of stress? What are the signs?

This feeling of being stuck seems to reside deep in our gut, and it is surrounded by fear.

Anneli Rufus is a frequent contributor to Spirituality & Health. Her books Party of One: The Loners' Manifesto and the Nautilus Award-winning Stuck: Why We Can't (or Won't) Move On examined our lives as individuals in a crowded world. Rufus’ upcoming work, Unworthy: How to Stop Hating Yourself, will be released by Tarcher Penguin in the spring and continues this path, addressing self-esteem. It serves as the catalyst for this blog and asks: Why do we feel the way we do about ourselves?

The only thing I know for sure is that I deserve this.

Sponsored Content from Reputation.CA

Yoga and mindfulness can help us recognize that our discomfort has a flow.

When everything feels up in the air, here’s how to keep worry from taking over.

With news this intense and upsetting, we need to monitor our own consumption very carefully.

Finding balance isn't easy in these tightrope-walking days. But: “Your deepest presence is in every small contracting and expanding, the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated as birds’ wings.” –Rumi

Like serotonin for your soul, ginger root during the pandemic can be a balm for anxiety—among its many other benefits. Mary Novaria spins a yarn about how the superfood brought her relief.

Meera Lee Patel’s latest journal, Create Your Own Calm, is publishing as anxiety levels across the world are rising dramatically. Patel shared her creative process and personal journaling practice with S&H.

Pregnancy naturally causes anxiety—then tack on a pandemic. Writer Julie Peters shares her journey and how working on stress-management skills helps.

Here are eight tips for sincerely supporting a loved one who is struggling with mental health, plus seven additional tips for supporting those with suicidal thoughts.

Nature provides a welcome respite from the chaos of the modern world. Seeking out the solace found in the natural world can offer a path out of feeling hopeless.

Stuck in a rut—or a loop? “Thoughts we’ve had thousands of times are easier to have again than new, creative thoughts. ... So what are we to do about our loops getting stronger with every repetition?”

Difficult emotions are there for a reason. There is one cure for toxic positivity.

Whether it be the result of a big presentation, an important exam, or even a small task, anxiety comes in all shapes and sizes. It may feel overpowering at times, but you can conquer it.

Something joyful, beautiful, pleasurable, or delicious is happening: Notice moments of sweetness.

The idea of collective trauma and individual trauma have shaped the work of yoga teacher, therapist, and activist Hala Khouri.

Unlock the key to lessening fear and embracing gratitude and aliveness.

Leave Society is, to borrow its protagonist’s phrase, the record of a “life explored with leisurely meticulousness.” The book begins in 2014 and chronicles a novelist named Li’s l…

Exhausted by constant risk assessments? Are friendships forming or dissolving based solely on pandemic vigilance? You may be experiencing COVID trauma.

Immersing our bodies in cold temps may help build our tolerance for stress and possibly even long-term anxiety.

Acroparesthesia is often a burning feeling in your hands or feet and can cause pain, discomfort, and anxiety.

From oracle decks to witches to all things somatic and body-based.

While researchers are still exploring the mechanism of sound medicine, studies show that sound therapy boosts spiritual wellbeing and reduces anxiety and pain.

Hypnosis can help you get to the root of an issue quickly. It’s increasingly being used as a supplement to psychoanalysis.

During the past two years, the never-ending news cycle focusing on the dangers of the world led many to hunker down in their desire to remain “safe.” Kristen Lee observes in her ne…

Overburdened? Try two techniques that can boost your bravery when you need it most.

Feeling disconnected from your community and the world around you? Dive into four ways to develop connection and belonging.

Ayurveda teaches us that emotions are connected to some of the body's major organs. Explore practical ways to soothe anxiety, grief, and anger and help heal the physical body.

Our lead digital editor spent a week apprenticed to a master seaweed harvester—and learned much more than how to gather kelp.

If you feel caught in a fear loop, work with these five Buddhist methods to ground yourself.

If you’ve been struggling with an overstimulated nervous system and are seeking a new way to nourish yourself, try floating.

Learn how to be fully in the moment with big emotions with this gentle meditation.

When your nervous system needs a reset, try yoga nidra. Learn more about the power and benefits of this practice.

Panic attacks can be scary and require care, but they can also teach us a lot about ourselves. Explore the spiritual meaning of panic attacks.

Qi gong master Lee Holden teaches how to return to the body for balance, peace, and vitality.

At the age of 54 my client, Doug, has no job, a stilted romantic relationship, and no friends. He fears he’s going to end up alone and homeless if things don’t change soon. The cor…

An Interview with Tara Brach

A new study has sheds light on exactly how the brain hides memories.

Anticipation can be beneficial for your brain, your emotions, and even your physical health for many reasons, and it’s a skill worth learning.

I recently sampled not one but two of the richest, thickest, sweetest, most stratospherically satiny ice creams I've ever tasted.One of these was High Road Craft Ice Cream, made by…

Stress can make getting to sleep at night a very real challenge.

The issue of stress is rampant in our culture. Mindful Yoga Therapy, supported by Give Back Yoga Foundation, is offering a path to healing for these individuals.

If you and I meet anytime, in any way, today, these things will almost certainly occur: I'll say yes when my heart and mind mean no. I'll feel, perhaps throughout our entire inte…

If you don’t believe in yourself, if you don’t trust yourself, here are ideas to nurture faith.

Fixing your digestion can make you feel a lot less anxious.

While the chaotic feeling of overwhelm has been normalized—it isn’t “normal.” Here are three ways to overcome the frenzy of your busy schedule and the constant feeling of overwhelm.

In this week’s The Soul of Therapy, psychologist Kevin Anderson, Ph.D., shares how to tackle self-doubt and low self-esteem.

Able to be practiced anywhere, by anyone, and at any time, grounding is an effective way to cope with anxiety.

Intrigued about the topical use of CBD for pain relief, anti-inflammatory purposes, and anti-anxiety? Read on to learn more.

“When overwhelm is given the time and space it needs to be processed, it transforms into a victory attempting to happen.”

Guided meditation can be used to promote better sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, and even to relieve chronic pain.

Using social media can be bad for your health. Existentialist wisdom can help remove the angst from digital life.

You live inside your skin tone, your mental health situation, your flawed family. “Like Johnny and Moira, we don’t need to be stigmatized or made to feel less than fully human when we’re up a creek without a paddle.”

“Very often, our anxious self will attack a problem, looking for how to juggle, maintain, or solve what has been set in motion, while the teacher within will stand back and question our very assumptions, even our very definition of what constitutes a problem.”

Lifelong Shinto practitioner suggests ways to incorporate Shinto cleansing and purifying rituals.

Feeling guilty about not practicing enough self-care or like you’re not doing it right? Go ahead and take these off your list of things to worry about.

The "worry habit" can be inherited, but it can also be transformed. Explore one life coach and medium's methods for un-learning fear, and enjoy a short calming meditation.

The vagus nerve helps us build emotional resilience and manage our fight-or-flight and rest-and-digest processes. Explore five yogic practices to help strengthen the vagus nerve.

Use these five creative tools to shift from the sympathetic nervous system into the parasympathetic nervous system.

Explore sage advice and a powerful 12-minute guided meditation from psychotherapist Andrea Wachter that can help you embrace your emotions and experience healing and relief.

Allow the soothing properties of water to calm you in this short but powerful guided meditation.

Feeling anxious or scattered? Ground yourself with the power of the earth in this guided meditation.

More…

Nostalgia has been found to be a valuable coping tool for dealing with loneliness, boredom, and anxiety.

Try these natural and effective remedies and increase your resistance to stress, anxiety, and fatigue.

Stressed? Suffering from anxiety? Under the weather? Try laughing.

Workaholics are more likely to suffer from anxiety and other disorders.

Self-loathing can turn this annual self-help ritual into a slippery slope. New Year's resolutions are wonderful in principle. What spurs self-improvement better than specific, sta…

How to identify the fears blocking your relationship—and melt them away to restore wonder

Singing with a group relieves anxiety and depression, according to a new study.

We who experience anxiety, depression and self-hatred know fake news better than anyone.

More…

In our special section we explore CBD from a variety of angles. Dive in to get up to speed on this huge trend.

Relieve anxiety, tension, and headaches with this essential oil blend.

Learn how to vanquish anxiety and actually enjoy the holidays with these tips.

These simple herbal remedies help treat over-indulgence, anxiety, tension, and lowered immune systems, all in time for the holidays.

An expert in cognitive behavioral therapies targeting better sleep provides six strategies to help you ward off sleeplessness during the holidays.

A unique retreat program combats increasing rates of stress, anxiety, and depression in young people.

More…

Where can you put your anxiety so that you can continue functioning?

There’s a saying that asking people to change their diet is like asking them to change their religion. What we eat and how we eat might be our most personal choices.

COVID-19 has anxiety on high. To cope: It’s time to surrender.

“It’s true that we get clarity about what matters during a crisis, and, hopefully, as a society, we actually can readjust toward things that do matter.” —Singer Damian Kulash of OK Go

Accepting (even embracing) challenging emotions takes practice, but it's never too late.

A longtime staple in ayurvedic medicine, ashwagandha root is touted for treating everything from anxiety to insomnia—but does it work? And how much should you take?

EMDR takes traumatic memories and removes the anxiety connected with them. It can create healing that seems magical.

Repel mosquitos, chill out, and get a good night’s sleep with catnip.

One little mushroom can alleviate anxiety and depression, provide insight, and catalyze spiritual transformation. Want a bite?

30 world-renowned teachers and leaders provide insight on how to better parent and support your kids.

There’s a dirty side to crystal mining. The good news is there are ethical options for fans of these spiritual gems.

Explore these concrete ways to re-program the "smoke alarm" in your brain for more calm and less anxiety.

"March 11th was a normal day, filled with typical responsibilities and joys, concerns and endeavors, practices and distractions. March 12th, I awoke to a new normal…"

A physical therapist offers her best tips—from personal experience—to re-awaken the mind and body after being stuck in stress mode.

Overwhelming emotions are common but often feel insurmountable. Try these five techniques to ground yourself and unwind.

Kristen RaceAnyone who has ever suffered a bout of insomnia knows how frustrating it is to try to fall asleep when your mind is not ready; this is true not just for adults but also…

Hypnosis House Call: A Complete Course in Mind-Body Healingby Steven GurgevichScience is revealing the astounding powers of the human brain to reorganize itself according to the st…

The Prosperous Heart: Creating a Life of “Enough”By Julia Cameron, with Emma LivelyTarcher/PenguinOur current world has tutored us not in optimism but in dread. Days and nights are…

By Thomas M. SternerThomas Sterner is an accomplished musician who, as a child, practiced his instruments without much enjoyment. Though he became proficient, it wasn’t until he wa…

Chuck WildReal MusicChuck Wild’s music career has been a wild ride. Back in the 1980s, he played keyboards for the new wave rockers Missing Persons and later produced music for the…

by Richard P. Brown and Patricia L. GerbargRichard P. Brown  and Patricia L. Gerbarg, both MDs and teaching psychiatrists, weave contemporary science together with ancient wis…

by Jim Robbins“When the Europeans  landed, the forests were so thick that it’s often been said that a squirrel could travel from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River wi…

ShelterDirected by Paul BettanyScreen Media FilmsIn this gritty, nerve-wracking look at life on the streets of New York City, Anthony Mackie plays Tahir, a homeless African immigra…

Clearing Emotional ClutterMindfulness Practices for Letting Go of What’s Blocking Your Fulfillment and Transformationby Donald AltmanNew World LibraryYou couldn’t swing a book bag …

The Mind-Gut ConnectionHow the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choices, and Our Overall HealthBy Dr. Emeran MayerHarper Wave More than 100 trillion mic…

Water in Plain SightHope for a Thirsty WorldBy Judith D. SchwartzSt. Martin’s PressFollowing environmental news is mostly an exercise in confronting anxiety, helplessness, and desp…

On any given day, 1.6 million of us are blogging, 27 million are tweeting, and 1.5 billion are posting on Facebook. We’re emailing during meetings, texting during lectures, and tal…

A few years ago, when I was teaching an undergraduate seminar at Stanford on the psychology of happiness, I had the students put away their books and push their chairs to the side …

The Jerusalem Post recently did a story on Tel Aviv University professor Michael Ovadia, a research specialist who normally focuses on the medicinal properties of snake venom. Seem…

Last May, in order to pursue his dream of an integrated life of travel, writing, and photography, a smart, attractive thirty-something named Zero Dean quit his job, terminated the …

In the 1990s I spent many happy years living in a beautiful apartment overlooking the River Thames in London. Then, in the summer of ’96, everything came crashing down. After findi…

As modern science continues to unravel the complexity of virus behavior on a cellular level in humans, cold sufferers should be reminded that the Chinese medical system has success…

We are entering one of the busiest spiritual seasons of the year, so we asked for some special “Roadside Assistance” from Rabbi Rami Shapiro:• What are holy days for?• How should w…

Here’s the science behind creating a chain reaction of goodnessThough economists and grumps have long argued to the contrary, many spiritual traditions teach us that, at our core, …

At the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, we have been working for the last year to find ways to help our veterans returning from Iraq a…

Peeking in on children’s yoga classes, I watch kids doing poses such as tree, snake, butterfly, or lion, while the instructor tells a story about the various ways these creatures b…

Marti was a bright, optimistic, attractive 40-year-old woman when she first entered a support group for cancer patients that I facilitated at the Center for Attitudinal Healing in …

The mind has a terrible time telling itself what to do. Fortunately, science is catching up with yogic breathing wisdom.Since the time of Descartes (“I think, therefore I am”), mod…

“Many of the world's contemplative traditions teach that the normal mind is afflicted in various ways; that since it so readily brings us suffering and anxiety, it can't be deemed healthy.”

One of the key words in the New Testament is metanoia, usually translated as "repentance" and giving rise to neurotic concerns about sin and self-reproach. But the Greek word meta …

About fifteen years ago, Robert E. Thayer, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at California State University Long Beach and author of the recent book The Origin of Everyday Moods (Ox…

An Invocation"Rise and place your hands on your heart. Bow your head to your heart and in doing so, bow your mind, bow your intelligence, bow your ego, to the presence of the Livin…

Outside the main entrance to the 80-acre campus of Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette, Colorado, the air is filled with the sweet serenade of chirping bobwhites and…

“Thank God for GPS,” sighs psychologist, family therapist, radio host, and author Daniel Gottlieb, rolling into the Jewish Community Center in Bridgewater, New Jersey. If it were p…

To spice up Sunday School, teachers at Christ Episcopal Church of Pontevedra Beach, Florida, began using a Christian storytelling program called Godly Play (godlyplay.com). The Mon…

Autonomous sensory meridian response videos, exploding in popularity online, help people relax and get some sleep in a stressful world.

Dr. Wayne Dyer is a famously self-made man who was born in Detroit in 1940 and spent his early years in orphanages. He became a high school guidance counselor and then a professor …

Here’s a simple truth: Everyone is a spiritual teacher. Parents, of course, are profound spiritual teachers. So are children. So are siblings. So are priests and imams and school t…

The key to happiness is in giving, not getting. Yeah, you know that. But do you know why?

Listening to music may be the ultimate mood enhancer. For an extra kick, sing along and even dance.

The psychologist Mary Pipher unites conservatives and liberals to defend Nebraska’s environment one small, sweet action at a time.

There is growing interest in using sound for various ailments and to boost human health. Do healing frequencies work? Research suggests they do.

Find your flow with these “micro meditations” for renewal, connection, and inner strength.

For millennia, humans have sought physical relief, emotional healing, and even spiritual renewal by immersing themselves in water. Writer Lindsey Crittenden soaks it all in.

Feeling depleted, frenzied or stiff? 10 easy moves to relax your mind and uplift your energy

Intuition medicine pioneer Francesca McCartney has grown from a nearly silent little girl into an outspoken proponent of a once-clandestine healing technology, making the science of energy a respectable twenty-first-century health care choice.

Pat Fleury teaches doctors, shamans, and regular folks the art of energy healing

Dr. Ron Alexander sat listening to the record company executives and staff he’d been hired to help. They’d sought him out as a mindfulness expert and corporate consultant to help t…

As long as I’ve been married to a yoga teacher, I’ve had trouble keeping milk in the refrigerator. Whenever she teaches, she makes her own blend of chai latte and carts it to her g…

The Surprise that Heals Trauma It started as an upset whisper that turned into a rant that’s become a roar during the last decade or so. You can hear it in professional circles o…

What should we do when we’re upset or depressed? Should we analyze our feelings to figure out what’s wrong, or should we just forget about them and move on? Opinions differ, but ne…

hen study participants at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore listened to music that brought them a sense a joy, the inner lining of their blood vessels bega…

My mother died suddenly from a heart attack, and I can’t rid myself of the anger I feel toward her for that. I love her deeply, and I feel guilty about the anger. And I’m fearful t…

When Shakespeare’s Juliet asserted that “a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet,” she likely got it wrong. At least, that’s what the devotees who adopt spiritual names eve…

What is feminine wisdom? What is feminine power? What role can they play — for both men and women — in this time of such significant global change? Feminine wisdom is mysterious an…

Fibromyalgia (FMS) is a debilitating mix of pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and depression that is resistant to treatment. Part of the difficulty in treating the millions of Amer…

BEYOND THE HORIZONSome ideas seem almost too big to begin to wrap one’s mind around — and almost too scary to even try. But given the choice of putting on blinders to stay comforta…

For years now I have been telling audiences about my alternative to higher education. I call it lower education. You come to my school and on the first day we give you a Ph.D. You …

If you want to help speed the recovery of a hospital patient who’s had surgery, bring a flowering plant, preferably a potted plant, suggests a recent study by the Department of Hor…

Cassandra Vieten, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and the co-director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Group at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. Becoming…

A landmark study by the University of Michigan has identified a likely reason why feeling emotionally close to a friend works wonders on a woman’s mood — and even boosts her health…

Civil rights expert John A. Powell explores the delicate yet enduring cord between our spiritual practice and social justice.

Q&A With EFT Expert Nick Ortner

I’m too judgmental. It is a bad habit (there I go again!), one I learned from my family, where criticism far outweighed compliments. I went to a liberal arts college to learn criti…

Research now proves what these experts already knew: that if you want to change your life, the place to start isn't in your mind, but in your body.

A study published in the July Journal of Psychiatric Practice reveals that Zen meditation and its secular sister, mindfulness meditation, effectively reduce depression, anxiety, an…

This season, avoid the usual meltdowns and instead forge meaningful connections.

Twenty years after she introduced a new generation to A Course in Miracles in her bestselling book, A Return to Love, Marianne Williamson is still taking on the world—with a …

Be healthier through one simple choice every day: be optimistic.

Thich Nhat Hanh wrote that silence can be thundering, eloquent, and full of energy.

Is it time to clean out your spiritual closet? Is your emotional sock drawer overflowing? Productivity expert Erin Rooney Doland, author of "Unclutter Your Life in One Week," offers five steps to restore order.

For many, restless leg syndrome is more than an irritating twinge. The neurological condition, often considered a sleep disorder because the spasms can wake you up at night, makes …

Stress affects our circulation, slows our digestive system, and even increases our blood sugar levels. Try these tips from naturopath Dr. Michael Murray to reduce stress and boost …

I know the holidays bring up a lot for some people.How about you? Are you depressed?(I feel like I am about to write copy for an anti-depressant commercial. Are you depressed? Trou…

A dialogue on end-of-life care

The times, they are a'changin'—explore how psychedelic medicines have found popularity in the 21st century.

I wouldn't exactly call depression a gift, but I’ve come to accept the restless emptiness and nagging sadness as signals from my soul instead of merely the symptoms of an illness t…

Recent studies confirm that a "half-empty" outlook is literally bad for your health.

An Interview with David Rome

Taking care of a loved one with dementia can be a grueling task, but meditation and support can lighten the load.

An excerpt from Buddhism for Couples by Sarah Napthali

A Light at the End of the Trauma Tunnel

Approaching the final years of life with a sense of peace.

The Great Rejuvenator inspires joy, reduces chronic fatigue, recirculates stagnant blood in legs, and relieves menstrual cramps. Lie on your back with your legs straight up agains…

In the California desert, a vipassana pioneer prepares for the next stage of her remarkable life.

Does your décor reveal your secret anxieties? Never fear—holistic design expert Laura Benko is here.

Omar stood on my doorstep, smiling and peering at me through square, outdated glasses. He placed his hand over his heart in a traditional Muslim greeting and stepped inside. His d…

I’m hearing about more and more people getting vitamin B injections, but then I read that this is appropriate only for people with a deficiency. What’s your advice? Vitamin B12 wo…

From meditation to mental health, try these apps to achieve stillness on the run.

Years after scientists first noticed that autoimmune disorders rise as our environment gets cleaner, a new generation of researchers is looking at parasites not as a scourge but as…

Every mental health worker knows about the DSM-V, a manual for defining disorders for the health system. It’s like a dictionary in which every psychological problem imaginable has …

Natural Healing Wisdom from the Chopra Center

New studies suggest that probiotics do more than help you digest—they may also boost your mood.Audrey Anne Sukacz said she started enriching her diet with probiotics—foods that con…

The effects of constantly being “on” can wreak havoc on our bodies and minds. Try candle gazing and these other practices to induce stillness and relieve stress.

Have you ever noticed that when you walk into a spa, you feel the tension begin to melt away before you even have a treatment? You're likely being cloaked in a preplanned double wh…

SPONSORED CONTENTBenedictus: The Story of Sister Anne is a love story of both divine and human dimensions. The story of the nun is also the story of Joseph, her psychologist. It wa…

By letting go of past hurts, we can heal not only ourselves, but our families, our communities, and our world.

Try yoga nidra for deep relaxation and profound healing.

Yogi Tommy Rosen uses his practice to help others in recovery.

An excerpt from The Wisdom We're Born With by Daniel Gottlieb

A scientific controversy about the relationship between meaning and happiness raises fundamental questions about how to live a good life from The Greater Good Science Center.

A new generation of psychologists finds that a spiritual approach to treatment can help patients heal.

Forget the book club—make your next gathering about your dreams.

A new generation of researchers is getting inside the mind of chronic pain—and unlocking powerful psychotherapies against what might be the nation’s biggest health crisis.

Here's how and why from six people who made it happen.

Sex therapists and coaches share the innovative approaches they use to inspire greater intimacy

Mindful tips from the author of Misadventures of a Parenting Yogi

It doesn’t mean you’re crazy. In fact, it can help you clarify your thoughts, shake off stress, and boost your mood.

Hope may be the most important feeling we can have. Here’s how to cultivate it.

Breath is life—something we take for granted, but couldn’t do without. In times of stress or grief, often we hear advice to “take a deep breath.” But sometimes deep breathing becom…

I always thought that birth order equals destiny. I’m the older of two children, and I’m driven, ambitious and uptight. My younger brother? The classic second child: mellow, change…

We've found a tea for any time of day and anything that ails you—what will you brew?

Are you an HSP—a highly sensitive person? Explore these tips to help you manage your walk through life without getting overstimulated.

How a retreat leads to increasingly positive thoughts

Fight the aging process with blueberries. Or retinols. A lot of Pilates, and laughter and good sex. But if you live in the wrong neighborhood, you’ll still grow older more quickly …

Loneliness can be an invitation to change

A dialogue on end-of-life care

Sponsored Content from The New York Open Center

One woman reports healthy appetite shifts and a clearer head after trying the low-carb, low-sugar regimen.

I used to be a seeker, looking for answers to all sorts of questions, wondering which religious tradition was right and best, concerned about the nature of the afterlife, wishing I…

Two alternative approaches offer hope to those suffering from chronic pain.

If your relationship is unhealthy, it’s time to fix it or get out. But how can you know for sure?

New research reveals what happens in a wandering mind—and sheds light on the cognitive and emotional benefits of increased focus.

San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley Middle School is an unlikely beacon of hope. Shootings and murders are common enough in the California city’s southern neighborhoods that the loca…

The art of moving into the peaceful state of Letgo.

Become your own source of calm and encouragement

Many of us are well aware of what mindfulness is and the health and holistic benefits it provides. Those who practice mindfulness meditation, for example, understand personally how…

The Comparative MindComparing is great for prices at the grocery store, but when we start treating the unique and sacred story of our own life that way, we always invite suffering.…

Try positive self-talk to eat better, feel stronger, and rejuvenate your body.

It’s hard to focus when there’s so much stimuli competing for our attention every second. These tricks can help.

Long practiced to purify body and mind, the discipline of fasting finds new relevance in modern research 
that points to powerful benefits to abstaining from food.

Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Ready to take the ancient Greek physician’s advice? These five new cookbooks will help.

Life is a miraculous gift. Yet, as many of us move through time, we seem to have forgotten.We’ve grown weary, disconnected, distracted or detached. We’ve lost our connection with o…

5 Questions to Ask Yourself

Focus, revive, and energize yourself from your midday slump with these seven reflexology points.

I remember my mother saying, “It’s a sin to worry.” When pressed to explain what she meant, she would often respond, “It’s all in God’s hands.” I think my mother used these sayings…

Observe the experience of your depression and learn it's language

Energy from one heart can make a real connection with another…and spread love in surprising ways.

Here are almost two dozen proven ways to chill out in no time at all, whether you’re at home, at work, or on the move.

How I turned my life around by changing my way of thinking.

Understanding your partner’s desires for touch is a key to restoring intimacy

Is it time we admit our collective addiction to caffeine? Explore how caffeine affects us and why it became so wildly popular.

On a bleak winter night in the suburbs, eight Tibetan monks wearing sandals and maroon robes shuffled out across the ecru-colored stage of the local recital hall. They paused for a…

An MBA turned to meditation—and turned the process upside down.

Did you know you can eat pearls for their various health benefits including skin and bone health, as well as cell renewal?

“We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.” —Martin Luther King Jr.

Holistic nutritionist Nicole Granato overcame polycystic ovary syndrome without drugs. She shares her story, and tips for other women.

Researcher (and new S&H columnist) Emma Seppala, unpacks the latest studies on happiness and offers a new way forward in her new book The Happiness Track: How to Apply the Scie…

An excerpt from Sarahjoy Marsh's Hunger, Hope, and Healing

Excerpt from Decorating With the Five Elements of Feng Shui

Depression is a leading cause of poor health, affecting an estimated 350 million people worldwide. In the U.S., nearly 7 percent of the population has had at least one major depres…

Spirituality and religiousness play a key role in the health and well-being of cancer patients.

To improve brain health, look no further than a cup of tea.

Until my cancer diagnosis, I’d never been ill. I was terrified and nothing was helping me conquer the fear. Initially, I felt a traumatic paralysis, the fast-breathing, huddled fea…

As a baby, Matthew fell headfirst from our second story, crashed his skull through his brain and suffered a devastating traumatic brain injury. And while he became a “miracle child…

An Interview with Daniel Goleman

A study identifies exactly why we get so emotional when we have been burning the candle at both ends.

Research shows that adding mind/body techniques to treatment options can increase the odds of conception.

In their emotionally connected presence, pets can be a powerful ally for optimal mental health.

Can’t bear to put pen to paper? Start with a page that’s full of words instead of one that’s devoid of them.

When you feel like you’re falling behind in life, here are five things to refocus your attitude and get back on track.

…And recognize the real struggle with your partner is to hear

A yoga teacher trainee experiences Max Strom’s breath work

Know someone who’s allergic to optimism? These affirmations can provide an emotional shield when you’re with them.

I’m sitting at my favorite local diner on a warm and sunny Saturday in February, with my boyfriend across from me—so many things to be grateful for. Only, I’m starving. One-by-one,…

New research provides a whole new understanding of the brain's amygdala—and suggests that happy people take the bad with the good.

When a proper balance of omega-6s to omega-3s is achieved, both your body and mind both reap a number of benefits.

A new study suggests that classical ballet might lead to increased wisdom in much the same way as meditation does.

Confused about whether fat is good or bad for you? Here’s the scoop.

New research shows men and women aren't so different after all

Dr. Neha Sangwan and writer and coach Jackee Holder say deep listening is the path to wellness

The best way to achieve inner peace is to treat your brain as a computer, according to entrepreneurial coder Sir John Hargrave.

Pull out your smartphone and get ready to download these healthy tools.

We decided to investigate the health properties of both coffee and black tea to see how they compare in aspects beyond simply caffeine count and taste.

Scientists now know the mechanism behind the sensation of touch.

Affirmations for peace of mind that go beyond “serenity now.”

Sponsored Content from Reputation.CA

One way to rewire your experience of yourself and with other people is by paying close attention to eye gaze and its importance to your relationships.

Through my stillness in asana class and in meditation, I learned that breathing slowly unleashed my inner poetry.

We humans come to believe what we practice, so what we choose to practice is critical. Praying the rosary may be the best practice of all.

Because the health of our gut is closely tied to many other bodily functions, prebiotics and probiotics together are important for battling inflammation and lowering overall disease risk.

Pretty much every night, for 46 years, I woke up in a semi-hypnotic state and ravaged for food …

How to use herbal teas to treat common health maladies and get back on the path to wellness. (An S&H classic)

Beep. Beep. Beep. Grab coffee. Dash out door. Adrenaline blaring, mind already awhirl, we launch ourselves out like cannonballs—scattershot, hurling, into the world. Now, is that a…

1. As the science is emerging on the mind-gut connection, what do you believe is the most significant discovery?The most important realization is to view the mind-brain-gut microbi…

A life-changing adventure on what’s called Path of Love

Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley. —Theodore Roethke For many of us, overwhelming stress sends us straight into the arms of Mother N…

Tips on mastering the solo journey

“While personal transformation may not be the goal for everyone, I can’t help but think so many people limit themselves.”

We live in stories—all of us, all of the time. This is a story about breaking through writer’s block and the start of a focused, passionate, and productive period

Discover the symptoms of a damaged or broken metabolism.

Learning the stress-relieving Sudarshan Kriya from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Aromatherapy Pioneers Share Their Favorite Scents

If emptying your mind feels like work, try this.

Excerpted from Siddhartha’s Brain by James Kingsland

How do herbal teas differ from tisanes? Are they really even tea?

Guide yourself to a healthier relationship with food using affirmations like: “With each bite, I feel more energized.”

Submerge yourself into complete bliss.

5 ways to stop stewing, and let go of minor offenses.

Discovering ancient, healthy, alternative highs for an alcohol-soaked society

How I turned from the question of what I wanted from life to what life wants from me

This next month can be fertile ground for renewal of spirit and for clarity of mind and heart.

An excerpt from The Dalai Lama’s Big Book of Happiness

When your expectations are dashed, try these affirmations.

Kick-start your day with intention and positivity with these empowering morning affirmations.

An excerpt from How the Art of Medicine Makes the Science More Effective: Becoming the Medicine We Practice

Explore the five movements of prana with simple hand gestures.

Marma Treatments at an Ayurvedic Retreat Center

At-home treatments deliver fast results for elemental imbalance.

Excerpts from Yoga Beyond the Mat by Alanna Kaivalya

Through the stories of eleven key figures, ranging from Indian yogis to an American-born journalist, author Elliott Goldberg engagingly recounts the path of modern yoga. The approa…

Why architecture influences mood, emotion, and experience.

Everything is doable here. No purchase required

Brain imaging studies help us understand different forms of thought patterns.

When you take control, you break fear’s spell. The concept is simple, but is difficult to accomplish because fear is the ultimate enabler. I saw that clearly when I went blind.

Despite the hype, researchers are still exploring the benefits of meditation and how much practice we need to achieve them.

Sponsored Content from 1440 Multiversity

According to a new study, the relationship between happiness and personality is more complex than we thought.

Cognitive overload is a term psychologists use when referring to dealing with too much information or too many tasks. Such overload can impair our memory and decision making, and c…

When the road gets rocky, what do you do?

The best foods for life’s challenging healing moments.

Question: I consider myself a fundamentalist Christian, and I fear Muslims coming to America. Is Islam compatible with American values?Rabbi Rami: If by “Islam” you mean fundamenta…

Research suggests that self-care can reduce stress and exhaustion—if we know how to practice it.

Happiness is for takers. Meaning is for givers. Guess who feels better?

Three months of practicing the Chinese martial art of tai chi led to significantly reduced symptoms of depression in Chinese-Americans.

Strategies tend to fall within set groupings. Which one do you use?

You can't control what you think, but you can control how you respond to what you think.

A simple practice for positive thinking.

Seven inspiring reasons to take a break from alcohol—one for each day of the week of abstinence.

Imagery training can boost everyday wellbeing, a new study shows.

Take a look at the concept of a Change Club. It might inspire you to start your own.

Here are four ways to slack off for more creativity.

Here are five mistakes people make when it comes to setting work-life boundaries, and how to fix them.

Cognitive behavior therapy literally changes connections in the brain.

Explore ways to lay down the swords and work on our listening skills when faced with a potential argument.

Adapted from Changing the World from the Inside Out

Do the aftereffects of traumatic events we suffered as children follow us into adulthood in a physical way? Research about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) proves that enormous…

What happens to our brain when we sleep?

The healing art of reiki is finding a surprising new home—high-tech Western hospitals.

“A new study published this spring in the Journal of Eating Disorders took it one step further, recommending that binge eating be tackled as a public health issue, similar to the way seatbelt campaigns, water fluoridation and anti-smoking programs were successfully implemented to improve the wellbeing of the whole population.”

From the archive: Selected stories from the past 20 years.

The body benefits from spiritual practice.

Create a twilight garden for a tranquil, outdoor meditative space.

Two important new books on a revolution in thinking about resilience

A didgeridoo concert reveals the instrument’s powers to reduce stress, blood pressure, and pain and promote an intense feeling of peace and wellbeing.

Dr. Mark Rosenberg brings holistic medicine to the ER.

The secret to empowered action is learning not to beat yourself up.

Classic research grounds our moods in the body, not in the head, and points toward simple steps to happiness.

At the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, we have worked for the last few years to find ways to help our veterans returning from Iraq an…

Here’s Help

10 Lessons from the 4th Century Desert Dwellers

You may be familiar with the psychological term “boundaries,” but what does it mean and how does it apply to you?Put plainly, boundaries are the line between where I end and you be…

Do you have an innocent coffee habit—or an addiction?

Creating music that taps deeply into our consciousness, composer and performer Barry Goldstein is helping people cope with everything from Parkinson’s disease to depression.

Yoga teachers often refer to the pelvis as “the junk drawer of emotions.” Discover your hip pain emotions and how to get unstuck.

Ask a Practitioner

I read Geneen Roth’s best-selling When Food Is Love 20 years and 30 pounds ago. For the first time in my life since I was six, I stopped dieting and started listening to what my bo…

When we talk about being intimate in a romantic relationship, we often equate it to sexual intimacy. But sex is just one form of intimacy.

Creativity is powerful for all of us. We can channel our pain into penning a poem, singing a song or moving our bodies. We can channel our joy into making a nourishing meal. We can…

Navigating negative, anxious thoughts is hard. It’s hard when your mind ruminates on rigid thoughts: I should do things quickly. I should be more productive. I should never say thi…

Many of us have a hard time coping with negative emotions. This makes sense. “Painful feelings like anxiety, sadness, anger and shame tap into the parts of our brain that are conne…

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the ways in which my work as an artist and my work as a yoga teacher are really just exactly the same.I do think of teaching yoga as a form of…

If you had a time machine, would you speed forward into the future or relive the past?Someone asked me this once in a car on a road trip, and while my car-mates reminisced about ti…

We had 12 people last Sunday night in our local group for our regular meditation and discussion. We spent our time talking about about the nuts and bolts (yes, sometimes sitting ma…

by Belinda Munoz Editors’ Note: This guest post originally appeared on Belinda Munoz’s blog, The Halfway Point. We found Belinda’s list so inspiring, and are grateful to her for a…

Boarding the Azamara Quest in Barcelona, about to start a week-long Riviera cruise, I felt joy and two types of anxiety. One was luxuryphobia. The other was mortal fear.Surely, I t…

In emotionally confusing situations, our first urge is to try to understand. We use our logical brains to try to figure out things like grief, pain, and (strangest of all) other pe…

As many of you already know, I am not what I would describe as a ‘sunshine and flowers’ yoga teacher. Listening to teachers talk about how wonderful all creation is and seeing insp…

By Michelle Smith When we hear of a death in our family or community we feel a powerful urge to offer comfort—and so, we bring food. In almost any culture bringing food to t…

As some of you already know, I am a spoken word poet, which means, generally speaking, that I talk about my feelings in front of half-drunk audiences on Monday nights at a neighbor…

I’ll be honest: I’ve never liked meditating. I’ve dabbled in it, and forced myself to sit for 30 day meditation challenges, and it was boring and hard. Plus life is so busy: Five m…

I was talking recently with a fellow yoga teacher about a student who takes three to four classes every day. He was a little worried about the effect that might be having on her bo…

There’s an origin story that many yogis have: there was a first moment, a realization, a falling in love, a desire to shout from the rooftops: “Yoga saved me!”. For me and many oth…

A conversation with a friend and fellow activist inspired me to offer some special love and appreciation to all of you parents out there this week. My friend, a longtime mover and …

Yoga is a good thing to have in your pocket.I’m writing this from the hotel restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina, where I’ve spent the past week at the National Poetry Slam comp…

Breathing is, indeed, good for you. It’s been shown that breathing into the belly helps encourage a relaxed state in your body, nourishes your organs, calms the nervous system, and…

I met a supermodel last week.Daisy Lowe, whose archangelic statuesquity graces Vogue and other fashion hotspots, appears in a stunning set of images recently commissioned by the Gr…

I wish I could speak like music.I wish I could put the swaying splendorOf the fields into wordsSo that you could hold TruthAgainst your bodyAnd dance.I am trying the best I canWith…

This is how bad things have gotten: I am squatting on my floor by a low table to write this because I threw out my back again and I am in extreme pain. Pain, however, can lead to r…

Anger: we all know it, many of us well. But at a yoga party, it would be gauche to bring up the raging intensity sitting in your gut. We’re all focusing on the positive here, right…

The massage therapist slid her hand under my sacrum, and waited. I wasn’t sure what this was supposed to feel like and apparently nothing was happening.“What do you feel?” she aske…

A few years ago, I had a very annoying skin allergy. Wherever I scratched, my skin would bubble up: the condition is called Dermatographia, or “skin writing” in Latin.I could write…

The other night, my partner got a migraine. He was writhing in bed, ibuprofen scattered around the room, ice packs and hot water bottles strewn everywhere. I did what I do best in…

Video via Cosmic Kids?

Find your strengths and feel worthy of that next big purchase.We were deciding where to hang some paintings."Over the sofa," I suggested. "Oh, but then we'd have to hammer nails in…

What are the daily habits of truly happy people? And how can we incorporate these habits into our daily lives? Action for Happiness—a movement dedicated to helping people ex…

Do you struggle with intense food cravings? If so, you understand that powerless feeling—when the craving takes control and you begin to feel like a passenger in Mr. Toad’s W…

Spring is here! It’s time to come out of hibernation and step into the great outdoors. Not that we need any convincing, but for years, scientists have been claiming the importance …

Low self-esteem is hard to lift. Unlike high self-esteem, which is primed to respond rapidly to even slight praise—You love my new haircut? Me too!—low self-esteem is notoriously s…

As the end of the school year approaches, expectations and anxiety begin to loom in equal measure. Prior to graduation, the notion that “now life really begins” fills people with g…

Do you need an extra surge of brain power for a big test or a difficult project? You might want to consider switching out your coffee for green tea as new research has shown that t…

I recently did a 21-day sugar detox and although I expected it to be interesting, amazing and at times even harrowing, I never expected it to be the topic of a blog about spiritual…

“Some people awaken spiritually without ever coming into contact with any meditation technique or any spiritual teaching. They may awaken simply because they can’t stand the suffer…

Put this anti-stress routine on your to-do list for a more zen approach to daily life.

My mother's birthday was last week. Because she's left ths world, I couldn't send her a gift.This was a bittersweet relief.Opening gifts almost always made Mom cry—not with joy, bu…

When you decalcify the pineal gland—known as the third-eye chakra—you remove calcium phosphate deposits. This can lead not only to better health and wellbeing but to higher consciousness.

Do you do certain things only because of fear and anxiety? Give yourself permission to stop.A feel-good moment in countless fairy tales, songs, advertising jingles, children's film…

I’ve been watching a trend among some of the people I work with—they are playing with fire in their relationships. But I can’t help but wonder, can you really play with fire and no…

What’s been on your mind lately? If you’re like most of us, a lot of your time is spent pondering things that are rooted in the past or the future: the dentist appointment in a few…

Do you keep a running to-do list that never seems to end? Do self-directed commands such as “send emails” or “write resume” or “buy salad ingredients” always end up on tomorrow’s l…

It’s cold and flu season again — make sure you get plenty of sleep, take some extra vitamin C and … hug each other a little more. Yes, that’s right. A new study reveal…

There is no doubt how strongly our negative emotions affect our physiology. When we feel anxious, there is a gnawing sensation in our gut. When depressed, our whole body seems to s…

This year, I’ve been deepening my research into Tantric yoga philosophy while also taking courses on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (or CBT), which is a modern psychological practic…

“But I’ll tell you what hermits realize. If you go off into a far, far forest, and get very quiet, you’ll come to understand that you’re connected with everything.” —Alan Watts Ha…

There’s an interesting story about a woman being chased by a tiger. She is running for her life and comes to the edge of a cliff. Here, she notices a sturdy vine, and climbs down t…

The yoga that we practice here in North America has a fascinating and complex history and lineage. There are influences from different branches of Hindu religion, Buddhist philosop…

As the holiday season is now in full swing, I can’t help but observe the swing of emotions—mine and that of those all around me.On one hand, there is the child-like delight of magi…

One night two weeks ago, while watching a Nebraska-based trance band, I suddenly remembered how to have fun.It happened effortlessly—as shake-out-your-sleeves-and-collapse-on-the-h…

“The best thing about yoga,” a teacher of mine used to say, “is that it makes you more sensitive. The worst thing about yoga is that it makes you more sensitive.” We sometimes get …

By Bianca Alexander and Howard Jacobson, Ph.D.According to the NIH, approximately 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. While technical…

We are living in a time of more choice than ever before. Not only can we order pretty much anything online, we are free to marry whoever we want whenever we choose, we can pursue w…

“How can you possibly start your day off bright-eyed and bushy-tailed if you don’t get a proper night’s sleep?”

There is a population of people where anger is an accepted, indeed expected, emotion. The emotions of fear and sadness however, are not. In this culture, violence and addiction are…

I hadn't seen Tracey in over a year. And I was wrangling, that morning, with the latest in a long series of anxiety attacks, which made me not want to see anyone.But cancelling our…

Around Valentine’s Day, a lot of people are thinking about love—whether they want to be or not. A set of particularly anxious questions can arise: How do I find the One? How do I k…

“It turns out that there are gut microbes that can produce neurotransmitters that can alter our emotional state.”

If you don’t already use it daily, you may associate incense with your college years—the familiar smell and smoke in dorm rooms masking, well, other familiar smells associate…

Thinking about how good exercise is for you before your morning walk can actually make that morning walk better for you.Each of us comes to fitness with our own ideas about it. May…

Every morning, I meditate. Badly. I know meditation is good for me. Meditation can help with anxiety, stress, insomnia, self-esteem and a whole host of other things. There are a m…

Thinking about how good exercise is for you before your morning walk can actually make that morning walk better for you.Each of us comes to fitness with our own ideas about it. May…

I don’t always make New Year’s resolutions—I find the darkest coldest months a pretty difficult time to start new things. This year, however, I did make one that not only helped me…

The pinging phone, back to back meetings, rush hour traffic; most of us get a little on edge when we are face to face with high stress situations. We also probably know people who …

Lily Diamond learned the sensorial magic of culinary creativity from her mother, whose life was cut tragically short. In her new book Kale and Caramel (Atria 2017), Diamond shares …

Dieting mythologies have taught us that cravings are our enemies. We are told to ignore the plaintive cries of our evil bodies as they try to trick us into feeding them!Cravings ar…

Once upon a time, people spent their whole lives in one career until they retired. In this world, marriage was a given: it happened early and it was lifelong. Commitment was easy: …

Thinking is obviously an important tool. Humans have the powerful ability to think about the past and the future, make narratives about our lives that help us navigate new situatio…

As a society, most of us would unanimously rank trust as an important part of relationships. We want to trust that the people we live with, work with, and love, are going to do eve…

As we move away from thinking of positive emotions as a hedonistic escape plan, we begin to understand the immense power that they have to transform our human experience and to gal…

Does it ever seem like you’re crying for no reason? Spontaneous crying may be a signal that you're an empath.

This month we are celebrating the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs. He was born in northern India in 1666, and we celebrate his birthday on January 16th. …

A novel study found that patients who practice meditation and mindfulness experience better sleep and relaxation patterns and have a more accepting outlook toward living with a long-term illness.

From Fortune 500 CEOs to neuroscientists, major media outlets to bloggers, sources of all kinds are urging us to prioritize sleep as a pathway to success and wellness.

Do you cringe when you see someone get yelled at, hurt, or embarrassed? Do you tend to soak up others’ emotions—especially the feelings of those close to you? A new study has…

Photo credit: Kristan Lawson

Reclaim Balance, Sleep, Sex Drive and Vitality Naturally with the Gottfried ProtocolBy Sara GottfriedSCRIBNERFor the woman who never experiences fatigue, sugar cravings, or PM…

Capture: Unraveling the Mystery of Mental SufferingBy David A. Kessler, MDHarperWaveWho hasn’t wished they could control the anger, grief, and anxiety that lead to actions tha…

Throughout human history, spiritual seekers have used sacred plants and fungi for healing, visionary encounters, and mystical experience. Though this history has been largely obfus…

The stress response is your best ally during difficult moments—a resource to rely on rather than an enemy to vanquish.

Nano-Nano: Will someone please tell us if sunscreen is safe?

How loving-kindness meditation taps the roots of empathy

Core needs and fears are like two sides of a coin. If a core need feels frustrated or unmet, a core fear will be triggered. For example, if you don’t feel accepted or valued, this …

How to create a "sweat therapy" sauna

Sponsored Content from Reputation.CA

Try this practice from The Zen of You and Me and treat listening as an intentional meditation.

Our political and social systems don't support fundamental human needs, says Gabor Mate—which affects our ability to deal with traumatic events.

More…

Most of us eat too much, and many of us eat healthy, so… Why take extra anything?

How the Science of Spirituality Can Help You Live a Happier, More Meaningful Life

A new study suggests cognitive fatigue can be relieved by playing “casual video games.”

S&H’s Favorite Guides for Walking the Seeker’s Path

Book Giveaway: Visit bookmark.spiritualityhealth.com by January 31, 2017, and enter to win a collection of select titles.

More…

Books, Music, Film, Health, Healing, Wellness, Meditation

By re-training the muscles of your body and recovering the levels of oxygen your body requires, you’ll notice profound physiological and psychological changes.

Try these three steps to get you healthy, grounded, and empowered to create a compassion revolution and save the world.

Is mindfulness really the panacea for today's stress?

When blaming yourself for your own suffering becomes a core belief.

This meditation is a practice of honoring and acknowledging the range of complex sensations and emotions that may be present at any given moment.

An interview with Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson about their new book, Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body

A self-described mother martyr goes on a solo journey and rediscovers the value of her own joy.

The heart holds our love, connection, joy, and forgiveness. It can also hold grief and anxiety. Sometimes what the heart feels is very different from what the mind thinks it wants.…

As caregivers, we need to be more than problem solvers. We need to be portals to a larger possibility.

Take these two actions to set boundaries around your phone and social media.

Try this audio meditation for slowing down the mind.

Begin to lessen the overwhelming emotional response you may be experiencing to the smallest provocation.

A panel of experts calls for more consistent scientific examination of mindfulness.

Find ways to take a break from overwhelming situations.

The life of a community depends on how we care for the ground we stand on and how we step lightly, walking side by side.

Use this method to process traumatic experiences and work through challenging emotional states.

Gratitude for the sisterhood at a Tibetan Buddhist Nunnery

Shoma Morita was a Zen Buddhist, and his therapy left a lasting spiritual mark on Japan.

Best-selling author Cheryl Richardson delves into midlife challenges and experiments with journal writing in her long-awaited return, Waking Up in Winter: In Search of What Really …

Techniques for becoming more aware of your breathing patterns.

Adapted from The Integrity Advantage: Step into Your Truth, Love Your Life, & Claim Your Magnificence

Try these three recipes for better digestion.

An Interview with Robert Wright

Jagad Guru says that all addiction is rooted in misunderstandings about who we are and what we need to be truly happy and fulfilled.

Research shows that dreaming is not just a byproduct of sleep, but serves its own important functions in our well-being.

Is cuddling going to regulate your gut bacteria? New research suggests yes.

The holidays can be rife with conflict, division and struggle. Here are some ideas that can help.

An audio meditation to help reset from your worst self to your best self.

Genetics play a role in our health, but we also have control in the choices we make about how we live.

Suffering is Optional. Here’s how to find the teacher inside.

Constriction of tiny blood vessels, especially in women, can be deadly.

Getting less than eight hours a night can lead to repetitive, intrusive thoughts.

From the book Rock and Water: The Power of Thought; The Peace of Letting Go

How to use mindfulness to let go of preconceived notions.

Cognitive training protects against declines in mental abilities as we age.

This simple recipe is a formula to kindle the inner fires, promote healthy circulation, and hydrate the tissues.

Feeling like you might throttle someone? Try these tactics instead.

Have 10 minutes? Here are ways to make time for creativity in your daily life.

To protect one source of profound happiness, you need to know how your brain creates it. A brain surgeon explains.

Help kids build and maintain confidence, empathy, joy, and self-compassion.

As children, we were one with each moment—crying one moment, laughing the next— always intensely present and going along with the flow of being. As a result, we had an …

This audio meditation is for those times when there’s discomfort in the body, whether emotional or physical, that doesn’t easily go away.

The secrets to supporting a stressed-out partner.

Clearing and releasing enables you to live with greater presence.

When you face inevitable loss, remember these three things.

What surrounds your home is important to wellbeing.

A note from our editor in chief, Stephen Kiesling.

By paying attention and anticipating pain (tension, need for energy, and so on), people come to “health consciousness” and are less likely to abuse prescription drugs.

Quite simply, the hauntings of our mind stand between us and everything else.

Spirituality & Health's May/June 2018 issue is now available.

A 3-step approach to cultivating compassion and overcoming empathic sensitivity.

A protocol to use to evolve your energy through intention and attention, and an audio meditation to help guide you.

An excerpt from Grateful Exit: How to Advocate Effectively, Take Care of Yourself, and Be Present for the Death of a Loved One.

Find little ways every day to slow down, even if it’s just for ten minutes a day.

When it comes to trusting your intuition, spirituality can help you differentiate between genuine intuition and a bout of paranoia.

Contain your energy and utilize psychic protection by setting your chakras and auric boundaries.

Beneficial bacteria may become the basis for an immunization.

Explore the intriguing world of crystals with this beautiful collection of gems hand-picked by S&H.

Q. I sometimes feel energetically stuck or blocked when I contemplate changes I want to make, or ideas that I want to explore. Why does this happen and what can I do to get things …

Authentic people live according to four practices that you can adopt in your daily life.

On one especially long winter run, I was overcome by a deep, felt sense that I could trust myself, others, and life in a way that I had never known.

Trauma affects all the systems of the body, mind, soul and spirit; its treatment must go beyond talk centered therapies.

When being a southpaw matters, medically.

Moving toward a more granular intention for an energy healing session.

More…

More…

Schisandra and sleep: A simple recipe using this “five-flavored” fruit can help you reclaim a good night’s sleep.

Help for Depression I read with great interest the article titled “Zoloft & the Sacred.” As a nurse practitioner working in psychiatry, my day is filled with patients seeking help…

Roadside Assistance for the spiritual traveler.

One rather innocuous experience delivered the most exhilarating, victorious, and perfect moments of my life.

These botanicals are nontoxic and can be taken with confidence.

Take a look inside our latest issue.

Although it is not common to experience a healing crisis after an energy healing treatment, here are nine tips for moving through the process.

Make time to rejuvenate with a healing getaway.

These journals are interactive and aim to unlock the hidden places inside of us.

Managing our energy is an important part of our overall health, and a good energy practice is more than burning sage every once in a while.

February: The Body Challenge

After exploring the stories and resources on this page, consider the ways you can hone your awareness of your body and create new habits for optimal health: celebrate your body with daily affirmations, attend a qigong class, or learn how to layer the groundwork for a healthier diet in The Medicine in Your Kitchen: Introduction to Ayurvedic Cooking.

Share your progress with the hashtag #FebTheBody and tag @spirithealthmag.

How can you support yourself to let go?

On being “an advocate, an activist for the expression of Love in all its forms . . .”

“This spiritual renaissance is real and has not stopped. It’s just that it’s growth—and, like all growth, it’s messy.” - Marianne Williamson

How the expression of our genes and the makeup of our micro biome are both fundamentally connected to the foods we choose to eat.

Constantly annoyed? Here are some strategies to overcome anger.

It is possible to live a stress-free life with completely natural methods.

Repressed emotional energy will eventually lead to serious illness and disease. It's time for a cleanse.

Twice last week I bumped into friends while in the midst of busy days. These are women who I adore, but haven’t seen in much too long, each of us consumed with the busy-ness of our…

Therapeutic horseback riding helps veterans with PSTD

The purpose of alternate-nostril breathing is to balance the left and right sides of the brain, and help you to relax and get centered.

In this guided meditation use a grounding cord to drop into your center.

Disrupted circadian rhythms play a bigger role than previously thought in our health.

Natural ways to deal with anything this big holiday dishes up.

Your spiritual practice is more essential now than ever before.

​And how to respond safely.

A low mood is more common in the winter months. But it may also signal a gap in your nutrition.

“So, what are you doing now?” my well-meaning friends would ask after I had quit my job with no apparent employment or other occupation in sight. The only honest answer I could give was to say, “I’m rewiring my brain.”

A decade ago, Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber launched the wildly successful House for All Sinners and Saints to have a church where she “didn’t have to ‘nicen’ myself up.” Now, she’s given that church up to make sex safe from religion.

Can CBD oil help you get some much-needed sleep?

The power of our minds can help us overcome fears.

There are a variety of ways to approach energy clearing.

Mindfulness meditation can help us befriend the pain sensations and teach the brain that it doesn’t need to sound the alarm so hard.

Being aware of the present moment may reduce certain symptoms.

A guided meditation to sharpen the mind.

Journaling can transform not only my physical health, but also emotional and spiritual health.

“We know that sleep makes us feel better, and we know it’s better for us. And we even know how to measure our deep sleep. But how do we get it?”

This could be the healthiest group you’ll ever join.

What do you want to Grow or Let Go from your heart?

An interview with Sara Gottfried MD

What is your sense of purpose?

Books, services, education and products that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

A love tonic dessert for love day.

More…

When we suppress emotional energy, it lands in the energy system for the physical body, generating or exacerbating pain, illness and disease.

In a world of constant sharing—a debate about how much is too much.

Can CBD help with joint pain? Research suggests it can.

How can empathic people let loose the burden of other people's emotions?

The work of pleasure and desire is to be honest with ourselves.

Every spiritual tradition has warned us that money, power, and prestige provide only transient satisfaction and the temporary elation they provide invariably fades, leaving us once again discontent and in hot pursuit of the next deluded hope for enduring fulfillment. If spiritual sources are not convincing enough, scientific studies on happiness now confirm this perennial wisdom.

Finding the path that brings you the most joy requires inner awareness.

Cold-water swimming might sound unpleasant, but research suggests regular dips in cold water can improve health and longevity.

This week, find out how to boost your mood in only 12 minutes and read about a way that people are healing our deep divides.

Intentionally smiling can be part of your spiritual practice.

The world is inflamed, and so are we. Maybe the two are connected, and maybe healing our own bodies can help heal the world.

Sheryl Paul, M.A., has guided thousands of people worldwide through her private practice, best-selling books, online courses, and her website, conscious-transitions.com. This article was adapted from her new book, The Wisdom of Anxiety: How Worry & Intrusive Thoughts Are Gifts to Help You Heal, published in May 2019 by Sounds True.

Reader M.C. Coolidge shares the story of a stolen Buddha statue.

"We’re celebrating 20 years of S&H, and I find myself sorting through old stories, trying to make sense of things. What’s real? What matters? What did I miss?"

Stephen Kiesling and Zen priest Edward Espe Brown converse about Zen, Tassajara, the beginner's mind, and more.

Meditation can be frustrating, with physical discomfort and constant, intrusive thoughts. Walking a labyrinth can be a wonderful walking meditation.

When life goes sideways on you, it's helpful to remember that one of the most powerful tools we have to affect many layers of our health is already happening within us.

"The truth is, we all go through cycles of emotions and eventually return to neutral. We then remain in a neutral state of equilibrium until some stimulus acts on us again, and then we feel an emotion until it too fades away and we return to neutral again."

"I realized at some point along my own journey that alcohol was not my problem; I was my problem, and I was unconsciously using alcohol to change my reality."

"We need to understand our fears and vulnerabilities, not so we can blast through what stands in our way, but so we can figure out how to support ourselves to manage whatever it is we fear."

If you haven’t heard of CBD yet, get ready for it to be one of the biggest health and wellness trends of 2019.

Evolve your volcano of reactive emotions, moving instead into an authentic and appropriate response.

Bring attention to the doors of your life and you might discover the magic they hold.

Yoga can be a great tool for recovery, but only if yoga teachers understand how to shape the practice to the needs of people healing from trauma.

Mental training can help us get through horrible physical experiences—even childbirth!

Pain can offer an invitation to soften, writes Mark Coleman, the founder of the Mindfulness Institute.

When we allow pain in fully (and then release it fully), the heart can transform pain into gold.

Spirituality and mental health are often thought of as two separate tracks in a person's life. This six-part series aims to begin stitching them together, along with therapy, to reveal the critical areas where they influence each other.

Therapist Kevin Anderson reflects on the connection between spirituality and depression. "I tell depressed people that I have given up on self-esteem and I hope they will too. Focusing on increasing self-esteem amounts to trying to prop up the small-i self."

Close relationships can bring out the best and worst in us. A mindful approach to relationships requires a mindful approach to life in general.

"When I’m trying to encourage clients struggling with addiction to attend a 12-step program I often hear 'I don’t get anything out of that' or 'I don’t see how hanging out with a bunch of people talking about how terrible their lives are is supposed to help me.' Notice the self-focus in both objections to getting help."

"Most of the people who consult me now want to explore a spiritual perspective on their life situations. Many say finding a therapist who would integrate spirituality into therapy was not easy. Most therapists are still trained to avoid making spirituality a focus of therapy."

This week, learn why adopting a dog is a lot like dating; how to deal with uncertainty; and sneaky ways to reset your body clock. Want to know more? Read on.

The Fourth of July, the horrific news reports from our southern border, and developments in the Middle East combined to make me reflect on immigration in a personal way. I live…

A simple guided meditation to help you connect to your breath and your body.

“The more I practice cultivating the gaps and being really present for them, the more my nervous system gets the message that I’m okay.”

“The problem isn’t the depth of sadness or anger that we feel. The problem is our resistance to them.”

This week, researchers share why we get a brain freeze when enjoying a cold drink or ice cream. They also warn us not to freak out so much if we feel anxious. And they would like us to eat some apples and tea, please. Want the bigger picture? Read on.

Cultivating positive emotions is a powerful way to build mental and emotional resilience and create a buffer from the chronic stressors in our lives.

Dive in to our special section on 100+ books we love.

For 20 years, Judith Orloff has helped make being an empath “something that caring characters would aspire towards.” She shares practices from a lifetime of overcoming shame and creating empowerment.

Looking for a simple religion to share with your friends? Read on.

Find the right crystal for your sleep issue, and you'll soon be lost in dreamland.

This month's discussion column addresses a reader who questions: How can I nourish my spiritual side when living in a rural area—where connections are harder to find?

What causes panic? Most explanations miss the mark. But the cause of panic is obvious if emotional regulation is understood. Here are some basics. When something unexpected happens…

Tom Bunn, LCSW, is the author of Panic Free: The 10-Day Program to End Panic, Anxiety, and Claustrophobia, which is the result of his many years addressing flight panic in his role…

"When clouds gather / in the aisle of my mind, / eyebrows withering into space,"

How to create social media boundaries to stay connected without getting sucked in.

Our collective purpose is to discover, surrender, and inspire.

Look to innovative thinkers like Walt Disney’s Imagineers to revitalize your spirit.

We are delighted to introduce a new online column, The Soul of Therapy, by Kevin Anderson, Ph.D. Dr. Anderson will explore the intersection of the psychological and spiritual in the inevitable struggles that are part of being human.

“Both Orange and I ate the same food every day. But I ate it with resentment and he with gratitude.”

Mark Hyman and Mia Lux are trying to make people healthier—body and soul.

When our inner critic oversteps its bounds, pause with true reflection and rest in your radiance.

“Don’t rely on your doctor to point out possible chronic inflammation to you; it doesn’t share the same visible symptoms as acute inflammation.”

Reason and intellect are great, but when you feel like giving up, heart matters, according to Dr. Amy Bloch.

Does your gut tell you not to trust your gut? Maybe you should listen.

In his new book Walking Through Anger, Christian Conte describes a clear and simple path to inner and outer-peace using what he calls Yield Theory. Proven in prisons, this practice works—if you choose to live it.

Just by occasionally focusing on the natural world, you can bring more joy, peace, and wisdom into your life.

“When we, or someone we love, goes through a rite of passage, we need the alchemical blend of jubilation and gravitas.”

In this week’s The Soul of Therapy, psychologist Kevin Anderson, PhD, stresses that prayer is simply recognizing when joy, gratitude, compassion, or awe happen.

Make your way through the season of life when writing seems impossible.

More…

Many Americans struggling with health, financial, and emotional problems find it challenging to feel grateful this Thanksgiving. Learn how to develop an attitude of gratitude.

Getting together with family, especially during the holidays, can cause a lot of stress and anxiety—even if it’s all love. In this week’s The Soul of Therapy, psychologist Kevin Anderson, PhD, gives us the tools to cope.

Could the Peloton bike ad be sort of okay when viewed through a different lens?

"Meditation takes practice, and in the beginning, like any new skill, meditation can seem challenging."

Power of Healing is our sacred gift. This holiday season, mend old wounds and restore joy as you journey down four pathways to self-healing.

Yoga expands your mind. ... Literally, it turns out. A regular yoga practice makes key brain areas larger and healthier.

Avoid overeating and drinking too much this holiday season by mindfully focusing on giving yourself pleasure rather than trying to numb the pain.

The letter from the editor kicks off each issue and helps set the tone for the magazine. Over the next six issues, members of the S&H team will be writing the letter. This issue’s writer, Kathryn Drury Wagner, is our wellness editor and resident social media guru, hot sauce fanatic, and wellness enthusiast.

Austin and David Perlmutter's new book provides science-based practical lifestyle interventions for detoxing the brain to help foster clearer thinking, deeper relationships, and healthier habits.

And should better prayer even be a goal?

Sometimes we set ourselves up for failure by making promises we can’t keep or by initiating resolutions steeped in self-blame.

Dr. Will Cole on easing chronic inflammation in individuals and in society as a whole.

This often-neglected part of the body has a lot to say if you know how to listen.

Kelly McGonigal says to use the latest research on movement to bring more delight into your life.

Jenna Grace is a neurodivergent writer and educator with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sensory processing disorder (SPD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and social a…

As our air becomes more polluted, healthy breathing habits are becoming even harder to establish.

Rabbi Rami speaks with our January/February cover subject, Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.

A spinal surgeon shares how to relieve chronic back pain without going under the knife.

Have a holiday hangover? Try these yoga poses to help detox and rebalance your body.

Puppies can teach us a lot about how to respond to frustrating and difficult situations in positive and productive ways.

Yoga nidra affects the brain by shifting brain waves into a beneficial state of regeneration and repair.

Boosting your emotional wellbeing doesn’t always have to feature grand gestures and sweeping changes. Here are nine small adjustments you can make in your day-to-day life.

Try these tips for getting comfortable in your favorite sleeping position.

August Brice of Tech Wellness is an EMF (electric and magnetic field) expert bringing mindfulness and balance to our relationship with technology. She is passionate …

Drs. David and Austin Perlmutter explain how we can rewire our brains to develop healthier habits.

Self-care is not a luxury. In order to build resilience, putting yourself first is critical. Here are seven of the self-care roadblocks we erect and how to break through them to find love and compassion for ourselves.

One of the leading voices in functional medicine talks with Rabbi Rami about chronic inflammation, and why it is time for entirely new approaches to health and wellness.

“Self-compassion takes strength, courage, and faith. Trust the process, and allow yourself to slowly let in more self-compassion, more kindness, a few degrees at a time.”

“I was raised to believe that being frightened meant being alive. Timeo, ergo sum. That being scared is not a frailty but a skill. That I displayed intelligence by shunning whatever displayed itself as welcoming or wild. That the scariest time-bomb in the world was me.”

“When we live with purpose, when we slow down and take stock of what is really important to us, voluntarily letting go of what isn’t, we begin to live more truthfully, on our own terms.”

Rabbi Rami on being authentic, spirituality vs. religion, and aliens.

The repetitive movements you make every day can be a big factor in aggravating or even causing pain in the neck, shoulders, and upper back. Try these four stretches from chiropractor Dr. Amy Shevokas to find relief.

“Reimagining ‘mental health’ as ‘brain health’ changes everything.”

“An increasing number of studies have found that improving the physical functioning of the brain improves the mind.”

S&H's Stephen Kiesling sat down with Tara Brach, founder and senior teacher of the Insight Meditation Center of Washington and author of Radical Acceptance, to explore her RAIN practice: Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture.

Is anything better than waking up refreshed? Are you unable to answer that question because you don’t remember what waking up refreshed feels like? We can relate. Read on if you or anyone you love needs tips on how to get a good night's sleep.

The Groundbreaking Science Empowering Women to Maximize Cognitive Health and Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

Owing largely to the traces of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nina Simone in her voice, Jamaican singer and yogi Jah9’s style has been called jazz on dub, but the music on he…

In our fast-paced and turbulent world, it can be difficult to find space for peace, both emotionally and physically. These tools, designed to create calm in the mind, body, and environment, will help to remind you to make you a priority.

Love Is Blind is a strange hit, a romance about having all of our choices made for us.

These superfoods not only protect neurological function, they can also improve mental performance.

A journey toward accepting—and even embracing—anger.

One of the founders of Earthbound Farm ignored the present-day consequences of her family’s past. Until she needed to heal.

“If we are going to survive as a species worthy of survival, we will have to get beyond the limits of ‘us’ verses ‘them’ and open to the truth of all of us together.”

More…

“Healing ceremonies matter—they matter because they serve to empower and bring us through to a different and better place—and to release what no longer serves us.”

Clinical aromatherapist Dorene Petersen recommends her favorite essential oils to help soothe the itchy nightmare of eczema. Also included is a recipe for a luscious homemade cream to soothe painful dryness.

Intuition can become mute, stifled, or drowned out when we find ourselves out of balance. Here are some ways to help you get grounded so that you can reconnect with that inner voice.

If you are questioning your relationship with alcohol, could that make you one of the lucky ones?

In the age of COVID-19, mindfulness is a way to stay safe.

There is so much happening in the world right now that we have no control over. Here are some resources to help you reconnect to your heart and find stability.

Kids stuck at home due to coronavirus pandemic? Here are some ways to keep them mentally and physically fit.

“Now that the whole world feels enveloped in a cloud of fear, we think only healthcare providers and a rare few others can be counted as courageous. Yes, they are: But so are you.”

It's okay to find the silver lining and enjoy yourself, even now.

Self-care staples include eating well, sleeping well, and connecting with friends and loved ones. Now is the time to double-down on these basic practices—and to make sure you're not spiraling into a black hole of stress.

Add these foods to your diet during times of high stress. They can help keep your immune system functioning optimally so you can stay healthy and fight off illness.

What impact does changing hormones have on your sex drive during perimenopause?

Is there a better time to liberate yourself from what no longer serves you? Emotionally, physically, spiritually, and mentally, you can create space by dumping clutter and removing obstacles.

Know Instant Harmony & Happiness via

The Auric Chakra Harmonization Technique™

When ideas or illusions about what we can and cannot control in our lives are shattered, try these spiritual rituals to bring some light into moments of darkness.

The new moon, fully inhabiting the shadow, offers a potent time for exploring gratitude for the rhythms of life.

Read about a difficult journey home from India during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These feel-good foods are better alternatives than inhaling a sleeve of ultraprocessed crackers.

Kelsey J. Patel is a spiritual coach, Reiki master, and wellness expert and has helped thousands struggling with burnout and anxiety. Kelsey worked on Capitol Hill in the U.S. Sena…

"A woman in her 40s was seated on a bench at the park entrance. She was weeping. I asked her if I could help. She replied that although she was healthy, she was scared."

We can leverage mental tools to tap into desired feelings of calm, contentment, peace, focus, and non-judgement, and move away from stress and anxiety.

Renowned Buddhist meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg’s first book on meditation was Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness, which she penned in 1995. Since then, she ha…

Feeling angry and cagey in lockdown with your partner? Here are 5 methods to (resolving) the madness.

Your quarantine partner just aggravated you again. You’re angry—or are you? Reflection may reveal something else.

Inspired by Rumi’s poetry, deep curiosity, and a wish to learn more about Islam, Kate Green Tripp, a Santa Cruz-based editor and yoga teacher, traveled to Turkey.

Sure. Pandemic doesn’t scream sexy—but you can still ignite the spark.

Rabbi Rami is answering your questions, with special editions of his online column Roadside Musings.

Quarantine is causing abrupt changes in our body time clocks that may hinder digestion, immune system function, energy, and mood. Here’s how to create a healthy schedule.

That chronic back pain is a message from your body. Are you listening? These 5 questions will help you gain insight.

“We do not get to choose what feelings arise or how intensely we feel them. Our only choice is in how we relate to them.”

From a safe-seeming 6 feet apart, a neighbor and I waved hello. As if on cue, we both asked: “How are you?” And, simultaneously, we both replied: “Fine.” White paper masks furre…

Lisa Mosconi, PhD, explores women's health in her new book, The XX Brain. She sheds light on how women can keep their brains healthy and prevent Alzheimer's, and what exactly those hormonal changes really mean.

Leaning how to have real conversations about important topics with people you disagree with is a skill. These days, it's more important than ever. Diane Hamilton, Gabriel Wilson, and Kimberly Loh offer useful advice and powerful stories in their new book Compassionate Conversations.

The suffering of grief can begin to heal by accepting support and practicing self-care.

Many forms of prayer take the same amount of time to complete. This time—especially with 5.5-second breathing—has powerful physiological benefits.

“I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to feel about being in isolation or quarantine in this unprecedented situation. ... We are being stripped—like Inanna in the underworld—and we are being offered the gift of hard-won wisdom.”

“There are very extreme opposites in response to this pandemic, which, in a sense, are in all of us. I’m just hoping that the positive, compassionate response is the one that sings out the loudest.” —Jai Uttal

“Our ancestors, even if neglected for 10,000 years, are still an ongoing part of our current manifestation. They bore us. We carry them.”

This sweet morning practice will help you align with your purpose.

More…

A former spine surgeon presents effective pain-relief alternatives to risky procedures.

“As we find ourselves in the midst of various stages of reopening across the globe, our collective memory of this disaster can either fade away into history or become a drumbeat for a more just, equitable and sustainable society.”

Adapted excerpt from The Well-Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart-Smith. (Copyright © 2020 by Sue Stuart-Smith. Reprinted by permission of Scribner, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Inc.)